150-YR OLD BARN TOUR with a Barn Restorationist - Ep. 230

After inquiring about an old barn that was to be taken down in our area, we asked our friends as to whether they could recommend someone who knows a thing or two about old barns. Two of our friends had recommended Rick Lazarus, who is a well-known barn historian and restorationist in the area. For over 40 years, he has been renovating, restoring, and moving old barns in the Finger Lakes region; and he was kind enough to take us through the construction and stories of this bank barn likely built in 1882-and the first barn he had ever restored.
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[@karrieharbart9266]

I love old barns and would love to see more! One of my favorite things about driving through my home state of Indiana is all the old barns and farmhouses. It is sad when you see them crumbling from neglect. It's a valuable part of history and I think it's important to keep that knowledge alive.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I bet there’s quite a few in Indiana! It’s the same here. Some are kept up, like this barn, and others just are collapsed into the landscape. Neat to be able to appreciate their nuances more.

[@amyjones2490]

I love old barns! They are fascinating constructions. Too many are disappearing from our landscapes.

[@sharonknorr1106]

When we bought an 1800's farmhouse in Phelps, it had whole tree trunks in the basement and also under the roof, some still had bark on them. It had a stone foundation, dirt floor in the basement and was insulated with corn cobs (my electrician father was horrified to discover this when he was helping us run some wire after we bought the place.) It was a very simple house, originally just a rectangle with fireplaces at each end (which were gone when we bought it) and mostly wide plank pine floors, but later modified by add-ons, mainly a kitchen/pantry. Later found out it was originally build by the first farmer in the area who owned all the land which slowly got sold off over time. We wanted to restore it, but spent so much money just repairing the plumbing, electric, roof, septic including a new well, that there wasn't much left. We were very naive, but also it was about all we could afford at the time and it had a beautiful yard with mature trees and an excellent spot for a large garden, which was as important to us as the house. We ended up selling it to the neighbors when we moved to Colorado and they removed the whole house as we were shocked to see when we visited several years later. But they are still using my huge raised bed gardens which made my heart happy. There are many gorgeous old barns in the Finger Lakes and around the country and restoring them is a wonderful gift to the area, although it takes money and someone skilled like Rick to make it happen. Would definitely watch more videos like this.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thanks for sharing your own local Finger Lakes story in regards to barn restoration. This work is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I can only imagine the cost of restoring a whole structure like this. We know what renovation nowadays costs for a well-maintained structure. Not to mention, not being able to even get the size of boards and beams now that once was used in these structures. Thanks for sharing.

[@ElizabethPerry-hc2ds]

So interesting! I love to see structures so carefully restored so that we can all re-member the ways of our ancestors.

[@janaespiker3127]

Amazing. More old barns please

[@loriedmundson782]

Yes. More history!

[@abrachupacabra]

It's incredible how people all around the world are the same ❤😢 having the same fundamental values, loving the land and natural farming, taking care of their families.. It's just shivering listening to this man with all his challenges, similar to country side people of my country. God please help the humanity to find our way 🥺🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🕊️😇

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Most of the legacy media, the political sphere, (and even some of those on social) would really like to showcase that which makes us different, what separates us from everyone else-when really we should concentrate on what connects us-because often if we make the effort, we find we have WAY more that unites us. The minute differences can often be softened through introspection and careful and caring conversation.

[@abrachupacabra]

@@FlockFingerLakes So True!!! ❤️Thank You

[@moradmoradi8518]

@@FlockFingerLakes My freind Rick who lives in Ulster county has very interesting stories about the network of small canals that were connected to the Eire canal and used by the New York farmers in the past.

[@Julie-bq6iz]

This was fascinating! I love old barns. I was born and raised in central Illinois, and currently live in a 104 year old farmhouse. Old buildings are the intersection of craftsmanship, quality materials, and history. I would really love to see a series like this! I'm sure many Flock subscribers would too. I bet Saunder really enjoyed this. Thanks for a great video.

[@user-bu7lp7sl9b]

Would love to see more local barns in your area, especially if Richard is willing to narrate the visits. ‘An Age of Barns’ by Eric Sloane is like a religious text for this woodworker

[@lukemeyers2600]

This would be an EXCELLENT video series - I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and would watch many, many more!

[@lukemeyers2600]

P.S. I grew up in Skaneateles and also enjoyed your video on the visit there, it's a great town!

[@christinaelliott8565]

Yes, please, let's learn more about various barns and their history or evolution.

[@tai8799]

BARNS and their FARMS also!!

[@cefcat5733]

RESPECT FOR HIS WORK! HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES FOR A LIVING. I HOPE THAT THERE ARE MORE BARN ANGELS OUT THERE. WHAT A CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY! ENJOYED THIS TOUR AND AWAIT THE NEW BARN VIDEOS.

[@user-ey9bt7fs6n]

Wonderful episode! Love the old barns and their history of use. I would love to see more on the barns of the area.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@lkh511981]

I practically grew up in barns just like this! They're still everywhere in my area, including right across the road from me and on the farms of many of my relatives, and many still in use. This really brought back memories of the fun times playing in the hay mow and the not so fun times helping with baling. I still have a dimple in my shin from swinging a hay hook at a bale and missing. 😂

[@FlockFingerLakes]

One of my friends online posted a funny meme just today about farming: "Whether it was a live PTO, heat stroke, or dodging a pair of pliers going mach 3 through the air, city kids will never known the privilege of how many times we almost died every summer baling hay." hahah

[@nikkireigns]

😂😂

[@jonathanvanscoy2036]

I would like to see more about local barns. I appreciate you folks

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thanks for taking the time to weigh in

[@timgarner1957]

What a fitting last name Lazarus..bringing back barns from certain death! Lol.. Very interesting...craftsmanship that went into building those barns..all but lost in time! Along with plants, I also appreciate craftsmanship. Thanks for another awesome episode!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Yes, one of my good friends mentioned the same re: "Lazarus"; another commenter here shared that too. Nice to pick up on that!

[@ja-uh9gz]

Yes! I would love a series about old barns! I'm sure there are many beautiful barns in your area. That barn will last for another century, at least. The construction, joinery and heftiness of the beams and wood are so beautiful in the craftsmanship. They are one of my favorite sructures. There's something about seeing a lovely old barn (red one) in a bucolic countryside. Some have fallen by the wayside, over the years...but are still beautiful. They are relics of a simpler life that is sadly disappearing. Russ is lovely and soft spoken, explaining his expertise in barn renovation. Thank you. :)

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for your sweet missive.

[@cinderoftheland1496]

I love barns. ❤. I live in Western NY and would watch any show with barn history.

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

Yes, a barn series would be great. I like how you focused on the functional design choices in this video. Some questions: 1. In the future series, could you focus on the modern approaches and technologies used to extend these barns? I would have loved to hear more about why the metal roof was chosen, what sort of metal, how it was applied over non-standard (modern standards) spacing, thicknesses, possibly rotten wood etc. 2. Similarly, perhaps a discussion of the foundation...using a fieldstone foundation with a monolithic sill (loved the keel analogy!) allows exceptional drainage. That drainage is likely the key reason (aside from no soil contact) for the barn lasting so long. But flat concrete has much worse drainage (unless designed specifically), so will the repairs last much less time than the original? How do the barn restorers weigh these factors? 3. Perhaps with your permaculture experience discuss function stacking when restoring barns: a) e.g. whether trees were planted around the barns to reduce sun damage or could be b) e.g. water collection off metal roofs c) e.g. seasonal thermal energy storage under the barn d) what other ways are restorers not just restoring, but adding to the functionality of the barns especially in light of today's context? 4. Do the restorers (and yourself given your restoration/amelioration of Flock buildings and landscapes) use digital twinning/Building Information Modelling/Digital Landscaping as part of their work? (keeping complete records of the object so future generations (buildings), car repairs of cars with different generations of parts (Tesla digital twinnng). Did Flock come with a digital twin? I can imagine that if you'd known the underground pipe layout on purchase, life could have been more productive later. Obviously, this channel is a form of digital twinning for Flock. Was that part of your intent when creating this channel? The channel "Canadian Permaculture Legacy" was formed with that intent. He wanted to create a record of his journey and property for his children.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thanks for your wonderful suggestions. We'll definitely consider these conversation points if we're able to pull off filming more of these. We're hoping that we can get a grant or maybe some type of sponsorship to do a more thorough mini-series that would allow us to travel around and document more of the barns (fingers crossed) in the region. And to answer your last question: We started the channel to document the journey as a visual scrapbook, yes, but to also document the wisdom from the community around us and potentially apply what we learn and share that with others. I grew up with the Foxfire book series, and I often see this channel touching upon those learnings, but in video format.

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

@@FlockFingerLakes I commend your videography intent. Our generation is the last where our oldest living ancestors won't have had at least some digital record of them and their thoughts. Video stories with our "analog" elders have a hard time limit. Going forward generations will have increasing digital records perhaps culminating in a singularity. So oral histories like Foxfire and Flock are so very important as we transition to digital histories.

[@apextroll]

I have done some work on a few mid to late 19th century structures. The workmanship is amazing. I've seen the names of the people who did the work, carved into beams or in hidden places, that you read in the local cemetery. Even though it is short in human histories it still felt like hallowed ground given the old world skill involved.

[@42apprentice]

My God what a loss that team must have been, and how brutal a disaster. And what a great name for a man who saves old barns - Lazarus

[@FlockFingerLakes]

It is something that my friend Cynthia, had also mentioned-the fact that his last name is "Lazarus" and that Lazarus was "brought back" after passing.

[@nikkireigns]

Our barn is the biggest and oldest I’ve seen around, we’ve put $50k in it just to keep her standing. I’d love to have this gentleman work on it but it’s in WI. She survived a storm that leveled other younger barns. ❤

[@cherylkemp548]

Absolute yes to barn styles!

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Such a bloody hard life those farmers would have been living

[@suekuly4723]

Really enjoyed this and would love to see more. I know someone you bought an old barn and had it redone for his cottage. It was beautiful still with lots of character.

[@jonathonalsop2120]

My dad ran a thrashing machine up into the 70s and 80s, with a team bringing in loose hay. I was born in the mid 80s and missed out as we got a square baler then. They moved a barn in the 70s as well, took it apart on his uncles ranch and moved it a few miles to our farm and reassembled it with a partial concrete base, a conversion from gable to gambrel roof and steel cladding. I wish they'd taken a picture of it prior to disassembly.

[@robertthatcher7616]

YES! More barns. I remember an old barn. 1952. Very similar.

[@peggymcdonald3667]

Loved the barn and all it’s history. I’d like to see more.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you for chiming in.

[@queensweet5900]

Thank you so much for these old films.. Seeing these farming homes and the working and living of families ..a sad missing practice way of life of an era gone bye

[@vcheekv]

Miniseries about barns? Or restoration? Yes please 💕

[@VictoriaN72]

Wonderful! I spent my childhood playing in 19th century barns. ❤

[@cefcat5733]

My Grandfather told me that the whole town met for a 'barn raising.' He was born in the 1880s. It sounded like the party after the 'roof raising' was a big joyous event. ❤I think that they used ropes. Just imagine.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We still see barn raisings here luckily because there's an ample population of Amish here. So it's not all lost on history!

[@cefcat5733]

@@FlockFingerLakes WOAH, you guys are lucky. Are there Amish Contractors I wonder. That would be something. I can see it already, many hard workers and ropes, while Sander views it all, with a drone.

[@ahermitslife3684]

That is amazing! I grew up in upstate NY and this reminds me so much of the barn on the family farm.

[@jackhamson6161]

Such a cool video. Would love more on this topic!

[@yurihuta8487]

more barns please

[@sharonseal9150]

Very enjoyable! This really helped me understand some old family photos we have of my ancestor's dairy barn and their hat growing operation begun back in the 1880's. They came as pioneers from Missouri to Washington state in 1886. The wood joinery is fascinating.

[@debraisola9037]

Love this! There is an old barn down the road from me that is falling apart..its sad to see. We have a lot around my area of Humboldt county Calif 🌲🌲🌊🌲🌲

[@Fellowtellurian]

I really appreciate how you focus in on the vernacular elements of the barn like the stairs. I came from a working class family so when I see these details it reminds me of the hard work my ancestors put in. These places really should be preserved and honored for the people that built this country. Also, as a side note, I think we should take back farming from corporate America who do not work in the buildings. It is the workers that deserve the fruits of their labor.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

So hard to find people to farm-even here. We have a cool program in the area that practically gives people the opportunity to do a start-up farm and they have trouble filling the spots. Maybe part of it is awareness, but I suspect that many people don't want to roll up their sleeves at the end of the day. But yeah, I concur, would LOVE to see the land back from the likes of the Bill Gates of the world.

[@tontitik2125]

Hell YES!!! SUPER KOOL

[@jonathanvanscoy2036]

Very cool. Thanks for this!

[@indianagardener365]

Yes! Love the history! So fascinating to see how these structures were used to support families and maybe whole communities! More please!!

[@alanFconrad]

fascinatiing ! thankyou

[@RGT8388]

Thank you for the great features, would love to see more barns!

[@thetribalist3852]

🌱 Building a community, stewarding the environment, and sharing knowledge! Your Finger Lakes journey enriches lives. Nature, homesteading, and more! 🌿🏡 #CommunityLiving #SustainableLiving

[@izzyhendrix2651]

I would love for this to be a series! Thanks for sharing.

[@jonavin2361]

This was absolutely fascinating and what an interesting gentleman, thank you so much sharing. I'd really like to see more!

[@williamtetley8563]

Nice video. I find history interesting. I'd enjoy any videos that you make about farming in the past. Barns are a great place to start. We need to document these structures before time takes its toll.

[@gayross6938]

This video was very interesting. Keep them coming.

[@_JanetLouise]

good one

[@jefffilloon4766]

Awesome video, I hope he is or has passed on his passion for the love of history. Here in Iowa they bulldoze them down and farm the ground or build a steel shed that blows down in wind storms.

[@joansmith3492]

This was very interesting.

[@horacecrowe3520]

love barns my uncle had a large huge heavy log barn on his farm that I loved but I never got a photo and it was burned down it even had musket balls embedded in the logs Ive never seen one like it again and I have watched and searched for one I hope you do your series

[@hallac8592]

yeah interested! thanks

[@patricialeach4279]

Super interesting!

[@DK-bx5zf]

Amazing!!!

[@mrs.rogers7582]

At 8:53 there are 2 metal things hanging on the wall to the right of the grain storage room. Do you know what they are? We found one buried within a stone wall we are repairing. Would love to know.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

May actually be some hinge pins for the door?

[@HalStrider]

Is it just the colorgrading that's making everyone incredibly disconcertingly red, or is it the cold?

[@johngault8688]

Is any of that wood treated in any way to prevent rotting? I didn't see one bit of paint, but the wood (from the video) seemed in good condition.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

No paint or stain. Al natural. It's one of the first things we address in the video and talk about.

[@johngault8688]

@@FlockFingerLakes I guess I missed that, I'll go back and listen. I was wondering what type of wood that was (I may have missed that also). I know there are certain woods that are more resistant than others, such as cedar...; however, I'm curious if most woods will resist rotting if kept relatively dry and off the ground. Of course it would be rained on, but as long as it can thoroughly dry I wonder how long different woods will last without any treatment/paint.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

@@johngault8688 as we are walking in the barn, he shares that the people in the area were too poor to have paint, so they would use the raw pine. As we walk in, I mention the good quality of the wood and postulate that it’s in such good condition because of the roof repairs over the area. Additionally, he spoke of the wood that needed to be replaced on the bottom because they put a bank up against the barn. There, I mentioned that in due time, it’ll likely rot against wet dirt, so he shared they hired a whole crew to remove that dirt, jacked up the barn and replaced the wood. That ensued into the conversation of the different wood sizes used on the barn siding….

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

It's not so much getting wet as staying wet that affects wood longevity (in addition to microbial and sun damage). As long as wood can dry quickly after being wet, microbial degradation happens orders of magnitude more slowly. The stick framed housing commercially used today will embed wood in insulation, behind moisture barriers etc. If not done well, there's no drying path and you can get mold and eventually structural degradation. The barn has a double drying path to the inside and outside and the wood is white pine. Having soil contact means constant soil moisture and a great breeding ground for microbes. Black locust and osage orange wood are so resistant that fenceposts can last over a century in the ground. There are some other features which I think may deserve a separate comment...

[@mikeymopar1171]

Did all that wood to build that barn Come from the property it is sitting on

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I think it likely would have been right from where the barn is sitting since it was in the 1880s. Most of the wood for barns here are white pine and hemlock, which are locally-sourced.

[@bitethebullet8213]

can't imagine another episode this boring ladies! let's get back to planting!!!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

You'll need to watch another channel in a different grow zone. No planting in mid-January in Zone 5!